


At Odds

by Warpony



Series: Feral Echoes [33]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Arguing, Background Essek Thelyss, C2e117 Spoilers, Hint of Beauyasha - Freeform, M/M, Making and Breaking Plans, Tomb Takers - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:27:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27668168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Warpony/pseuds/Warpony
Summary: "Brunny. C'mon big guy." Beau called back."No." He chuffed, ears pinning back. "This... is stupid... we should go... to the outpost... to Essek..."
Series: Feral Echoes [33]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1711534
Kudos: 18





	At Odds

He was bias. 

That was certain and honestly Brunnera would not have shied from admitting it if asked. The Kryn and the Dynasty had been kinder and more welcoming to him, and in his opinion the Nein, than the Empire. Seeing the carcasses of the drow and half-orcs, knowing they must have come from Vurmas, that they were missing and their stories untold and names lost unsettled something in his gut. 

Not to mention Jester's harsh decapitation of what had almost certainly been a member of the Aurora Watch... Brunnera might have been a bit cold to her for the last day or so because of it. 

A slow growing hatred for _Lucien_ was starting to bloom in his chest. _Lucien_ was a killer. A _murderer_. With every passing moment that they followed that Bloodhunter Brunnera felt his disquiet curdle and threaten to boil over. The way the Tomb Takers had spoken as one. The brutality they so easily operated with. The implications of the massive gems meant as Threshold Crests. The casual disregard Lucien had for them, the contempt that he had for Molly. 

It made his skin feel to tight, the world to small. The bay roan turned snowfurred fighter felt as if he might crack a tooth for all the grinding of his teeth he'd been doing as of late. 

When Jester messaged Essek and the Shadowhand said told them he was in a Vurmas outpost not far from Aeor relief washed over him. It seemed so simple an answer. Abandon this chase of a specter and turn northeast. Find Essek, find the Kryn and the Watch and the familiarity of the Dynasty. 

At the breaking dawn he'd shaken himself in the sun glaring off the snowbank looked eastward. Excited for the first time to set out since setting out into Eiselcross with DeRogna's corpse in tow. Essek was near. There was a small hopeful part of him, soaring and making his head a bit light, that Verin could be there, too.

When a _Sending_ was cast for coordinates to meet and Essek admitted being unable to leave the outpost he had found himself in charge of Brunnera thought nothing of it. Ready to set off. 

It was a kick to the gut when the rest of the Nein balked at going. The shock stopped him in his tracks in the snow and left the firbolg a dozen feet behind the rest of his beloved little family before it was noticed he wasn't following. 

"Brunny. C'mon big guy." Beau called back. 

"No." He chuffed, ears pinning back. "This... is stupid... we should go... to the outpost... to Essek..."

"Brunnera we don't have a whole lot of time to argue this-" Beau grumbled. 

"Why? To keep... chasing them? This... this is... a trap." Brunnera's lips curled to show his teeth a bit. "I had... thought we'd... all been through... enough... to know... a trap... when faced one..." 

"Of course its a trap." Caduceus said, cocking his head. "Its painfully obvious it is."

"Look, if we can get ahead of Molly-"

"That... is _**not**_ Molly." Brunnera snarled, cutting Fjord off as he spoke.

Beau snapped a sound like a wounded animal and she marched back through the snow towards the fighter "How the hell would you know!? You never met him!"

"You're right!" Brunnera barked back in her face, leaning down into her space. "But... that is... not Molly! That... was... Lucien! _A butcher!_ We are... chasing... a ghost... to our deaths! Every... time... we run to... a... trap... we lose someone!"

"Better than running off to a war criminal!" The monk's tone was icy. Somewhere near them a squeak of distress that sounded very much like Jester was muffled against cloth. 

Brunnera's ears pinned and he growled lowly. "Do not throw... stones... Beauregard Lionette... we live... in glass towers..."

Beau grit her teeth but her response cut short when Yasha’s hand settled on her shoulder, gently pulling the monk back a step and breaking the line of tension between her and the fighter. The Aasimar looked tiredly up towards Brunnera. 

His ears drooping at the deep seated sorrow he read there, some old wound that had started to heal torn open and fresh again. An ache of sympathy thrummed in his chest for his shield sister and Brunnera let out a hot breath, breathing heavily out and drawing in a puff of icy cold air to try and cool himself from within. 

"... The way they... spoke... all together... that was not... being one... no sane creature... would give away their freedom... in such a way..." He pleaded. "Unnatural... dangerous... in ways I've... never seen..."

Yasha nodded softly, "Molly would have despised it."

"Lucien... Lucien said Molly was a part of him. Like a shard of his soul or something. When he got broken apart." Veth said quietly, she trudged over. The rest of the Nein and Dagen followed, circling up together again. "That Vess did that to him... with the book."

"That he has." Caleb whispered. "He stole it back from her."

"If that... is a... way to cut... Molly... from that... _Nonagon_... then I will... always fight to... get back our family... but this... tracking... in the snow, always... behind... its not... the way..." Brunnera pleaded. "... this will kill us. _He_ will... kill us all."

There was a moment of unsettled silence and Brunnera chuffed, looking towards Beau.

"We go to... the outpost... let the Tomb Takers... exhaust themselves in the... Alphas... we get Essek and help..." _Verin. Please let them get Verin._ "... and push for... Aeor... set our... own trap..."

Beau's arms were folded tightly over her chest, her weight shifting agitatedly from one foot to the other. There was a tightened grit in her jaw that it was clear she didn't want to admit it was a genuine possibility worth considering. 

"We have a few days to hike north yet." Fjord said carefully. "Lets get those under our belt. Talk to Essek more. _Scry_ more. We have a little time yet. If we don't fall to far behind."

"We need to get moving again." Caduceus agreeded softly, though his ears were drooped low, displaying his own unhappiness and discomfort. 

Brunnera huffed and his own ears pinned back again, not thrilled with the decision but willing to take the compromise for now. Brunnera swung his gaze to Beau, dipping his head a bit to catch her eye. After a moment she reluctantly met his eye. His hands moved a bit. Small, jerky Nein Sign drawn in the air close to his chest. 

_I'm sorry. I'm scared. I don't like this. It doesn't feel right._

Beau sighed heavily, a sound to much like a big sister reluctant to accept the reality when it was shown to her. She looked askance towards him and gave a stiff nod. The fighter rumbled softly, the understanding settling between them. 

"...I get it." She muttered quietly. 

"Don't... want to... lose anyone else..." Brunnera sighed, giving one longing look eastward before they started their march north again.

**Author's Note:**

> All families argue. Its what and why you argue that decides what kind of family you are. 
> 
> Campaign 2 is killing me you guys. I want them to go pick up Essek so bad... 
> 
> Hope you all enjoyed! Thank you for reading!


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